Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
Honeyman, GailEleanor Oliphant is completely fine, or so she tells everyone, but it's dependent on her strict adherence to her routines, and a careful shuffle past the elephant in the room. But as it is with life, change is inevitable, and when her colleague Raymond befriends her, the walls around Eleanor are under threat, and the elephant wants out.
This quirky and poignant story celebrates surviving what life throws at us and delivers it via the endearing Eleanor, a courageous and unconsciously witty narrator grappling with early tragedy, the absurdities of human behaviour and the rewards of social connection.
Pages
386
386
Year
2017
2017
Reviews
13-07-2023
Excellent book. Very well-written with the main characters fully developed. Use of language, humour, and pace of the unfolding of the story so clever. All members really found the book exceptionally thought provoking.
24-02-2023
All of us read and enjoyed the book. The author has some really great memorable lines that we quoted to each other, and she did a great job giving us a unique view to the world. It shows the importance of being kind and open to people.
03-09-2022
Although this book is listed as a 'light read' none of us agreed with that! The book was enjoyed though and the issue of mental health was a discussion point. Eleanor is a great protagonist.
20-06-2022
We all loved the book, and it generated some very interesting conversations particularly around loneliness. Highly recommend.
02-05-2022
Most of us loved it, with just a few exceptions. We loved the way it was written. Many chuckles. We really felt for Eleanor, and thought Raymond was an amazing man.
13-10-2021
We all loved this book and would be keen to read others by this author.
12-10-2021
Almost everyone loved this book, depsite the unusual writing style. The twist near the end was totally unexpected. A great insight into loneliness, family trauma, mental health and friendship. Very thought-provoking.
27-08-2021
We all enjoyed this book immensely. Excellent characters, especially the main character. Real page turner. Very emotionally involving.
27-08-2021
Mixed response from group readers. Some loved it, others didn't enjoy. Readers were able to make connections between Eleanor (the character in the story) and similar people known to them in the real world. Overall a mixed response from the group.
16-03-2021
Our group were unanimous in their enjoyment of this book. The characters were very believable and we loved the humour but appreciated the pathos that Eleanor was dealt. We all thought we could imagine Eleanor and Raymond having a rich rewarding 'friendship'. A great book.
08-10-2020
We all enjoyed reading about Eleanor and her struggles.
28-05-2020
We all loved this book, found it easy to read with interesting, recognisable characters. We all enjoyed Eleanor's views of people and situations which were unintentionally humorous, and empathised with her as, with Raymond's help, she started to break down her inhibitions. Highly recommended.
27-05-2020
Enjoyed immensely by those that read it. Definitely a "different" book and challenging in places. Very well written and characterised. An interesting journey as the empathy for the main character goes from negligible to full on as the story progresses. Unpredictable story that kept you surprised and held. Highly recommended.
28-02-2020
Everyone in our group loved this book. Very well written and with differing perspectives of character portrayal. Main character, Eleanor, was damaged by circumstances in her past and repressed it - her defence mechanism for survival. Interesting character relationships, bringing our compassion without anything too soppy.
09-11-2019
We all enjoyed this. Another story about some interesting and unusual characters, and a heroine who you feel might go from one disaster to another and so we were all rooting for her. A story of triumph.
05-10-2019
Everyone at the meeting really enjoyed this book, 5 stars definitely. Eleanor was at heart a simple soul but had such a traumatic childhood, all characters (apart from her mother) were very much people we could identify with in our own connections with family and friends. There was a lot of empathy & kindness from characters in the book, along with a realisation of how people can be so lonely even though they have regular contact with their workmates and neighbours.
26-07-2019
Group scored this book a high 4 out of 5. Members enjoyed the character development, and no one picked the twist at the end! The book was full of hope for goodness within people - as well as sadness and loneliness. It had an overall positive feel to it, with lots of 'warm fuzzies'.
27-03-2019
We all loved/enjoyed/wept/laughed/connected with Eleanor in so many ways! Which of course resulted in a marvellously entertaining discussion, definitely one for everyone.
01-03-2019
A very good book - funny, fast-paced, a good ending and a page-turner. Parts were a little too contrived but that's only a minor criticism.
01-03-2019
We found this a very compelling story with endearing characters.
01-03-2019
We loved watching Eleanor grow throughout the novel - and loved how unpredictable the story was.
01-03-2019
Fantastic book.
01-03-2019
This is a top read. Perfect for the holiday period. Everyone loved it, and no one picked the twist at the end.
28-02-2019
It was generally enjoyed; a quirky and original perspective on 'normal' life. An unreliable narrator who was like a Martian on earth. The group wants to read more from this author.
28-02-2019
All the readers thoroughly enjoyed this and can't wait for the movie.
22-02-2019
This book was enjoyed by the group and we are recommending it to others. Created discussion about loneliness in the modern world, and how people/work places treat each other/staff. Very good read.
16-01-2019
We all loved this book.. It is a charming book about a quirky loner - warm and funny but also heartbreaking. We thought Eleanor was probably autistic but maybe it was her early life and her mother that damaged her. Definitely would recommend.